Safety shoe heel clamp



Feb. 14, 1933.

A. W. BELLAVANCE ET AL.

SAFETY SHOE HEEL CLAMP Filed Aug. 14, 1931 I I 7 95M INVENTORS.

Hmbroae WBeIIavance and Harry L927.

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMBROSE W.BELLAVANCE, OF SOUTH PORTLAND, AND HARRY LEVY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE SAFETYSHOE HEEL CLAMP Application filed August 14, 1931. Serial No. 557,118.

The invention hereinafter to be described, relates, in general terms, toclamping devices but deals more especially with a clamp particularlyadapted for use in binding on: all sidesthe lower portion of a woodenheel while the operation of securing a rubber or leather pad or lift isbeing performed.

The attaching of the rubber pad is done by nailing it to the woodenheel, and in many styles of ladies shoes these heels are exceedinglylong and slender. It is therefore a somewhat delicate matter toaccomplish the nailingwithout splitting the heel and even in using thegreatest of care the cobbler frequently will damage the heel beyondrepair. This involves not alone the loss of the heel but the consequentdelay in procuring another, as very often these heels are of specialdesign not readily procured.

In our present conception we employ as the principal binding agent aflexible band, preferably of spring steel, which surrounds the circularportion of the heel, and in conjunction therewith a clamp plate whichbears on its flat, forward face.

A screw, operable in a screw block, engages the clamp plate and acts,when rotated, to draw the band tightly around the rearward portion ofthe heel while the pressure applied to the clamp plate forces it againstthe flat, forward portion. The heel is, therefore, completely bound bythe band and plate and liability of its being split while the nails arebeing driven is very slight.

In many instances the split heel is susceptible of being repaired. Afterglue has been applied to the parts through the crack the clamp serves asan excellent medium for bringing the split portions together and thusthe necessity of procuring a new heel is avoided.

A feature of our clamp to which we attach considerable importance is theemployment of a plurality of the bands operable from the "ii-3&5 samepivotal point but of various sizes.

Thus, in a unitary structure, we are able to provide a clamp sultablefor use on a variety of sizes of heels. The bands belng non-detachableare always ready at hand for serv- 50 ice as the circumstances require,and the band or bands which are not to be used on any particular size ofheel may be swung out of the way in order to avoid obstructing theworkman while operating with the one suited for his immediaterequirements. i

' The character of the invention may best be understood by reference tothe description found in the following specification when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodimentthereof is illustra-tively disclosed.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters are employed toidentify like parts in all the different views thereof,

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our twohand cobblers clamp shownmounted onthe heel portion of ashoe;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, the section being taken on line22, Fig. 3; I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shoW- ing a single band clamp;

Fig. 4: is a section on line 44, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the screw block;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clamp plate, and a Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of a shoe, inverted, with the clamp shown mounted on the heelthereof.

Referring to the drawing, H represents the wooden heel of a shoe,particularly one of the long, slender types of heels. In Fig. 1 a clampis shown mounted on the heel, and it comprises two bands, an inner one 1and an outer one 2. The inner band, in this instance, is the operativeone and the outer one may be disposed as shown (Fig.1) or it may beswung under the mechanism as is illustrated in Fig. 2 with respect totheband 1.

The band 1, in Fig. 1, tightly grips the smaller end of the heel on allsides except the flat, forward face Ha. On this face abuts the clampplate 3 which is loosely secured on the end of the thumb screw 4 by aball and socket type joint, as at 5. To prevent rotation in eitherdirection of the clamp plate while pressure is being applied to orreleased from it by the screw 4, overhanging ears 3a are provided. Theclamp plate further"1 operates the thumb screw 4, and extendingoutwardly from each side of the block are trunnions 7 preferably made inthe form of shoulder screws the heads 7a of which act to preventdisplacement of the ends of the bands from off the trunnions on whichthey are pivotally mounted.

Fig. 2 illustrates the device mounted on a heel requiring the use of thelarger of the two bands. In this instance the inner or smaller band ispreviously swung under the mechanism, as shown, or it may be left in anyposition on the dot and dash line circle where it will not interferewith the cobblers work.

In the position of the clamp shown in either Figs. 1, 2 or 3, the workof nailing on the rubber pad R with nails N may be undertaken.

If reference to Fig. '3 be had it will be observed that the screw block6, as viewed in plan, has tapering sides, and that it is quiteconsiderably narrower than the width of the face Ha of the heel. It willfurther be noticed that when the band is first being located over theheel it bulges out or expands laterally to the limit of the channels3?), as indicated by the dot and dash lines representing the band, inFig. 3.

The object in making the screw block of less width than that of the faceHa of the heel is that when the block recedes from the heel it willcause the band to draw inwardly on to the flaring sides of the heel andmore tightly and forcibly impinge thereon. This is clearly seen in theplan view shown in Fig. 3, in which the flaring sides H?) are closelybound by the band.

Occasionally a heel is split, either by carelessness on the part of theworkman when nailing on the rubber pad, or by inferior or cross-grainedmaterial of which the heel is made. A crack C (see Fig. 3) may generallybe treated successfully by first gluing the split portions and thenappyling the clamp in the ordinary manner.

And here it might be well to state that the clamp has application innumerous other situations, for instance in mending chair rails,balusters, dowel structures and articles generally having a circular orpartially circular form. After the separated surfaces have been properlycovered by adhesive material the clamp provides a very handy andeffective implement to apply and for a time maintain a binding strain onthe parts, such this disclosure is simply illustrative and thatdeviations from the exact mechanical details of construction as havebeen herein set forth are permissible provided, always, that any suchchanges as are thou ht to be desirable shall conform to and be 1n accordwith the spirit and intent of the invention and fall within the scope ofthe subjoined claims.

What we claim is:

1. A safety shoe heel clamp adapted to operate on the wooden heel of ashoe, comprising a screw block, a screw-threaded hole therein, a headedtrunnion on each side of said screw block, a plurality of flexiblebands, their ends being pivotally mounted, respectively, on the two saidtrunnions, said bands adapted, singly, to encompass three sides of awooden heel suited to its individual size,

a clamp plate adapted to impinge on the fourth side of said heel, ascrew having threaded engagement with the hole in said screw block, theinner end of said screw having connection, by means of a' ball andsocket joint, with said clamp plate, and means to prevent rotation ofsaid clamp plate incident to the rotation of said screw therein whendrawing one of said bands into binding engagement with said heel.

, 2. In a device of the character described adapted to completely bindfor a predeter-' mined distance upwardly from its bottom end thevertical surfaces of a wooden heel having a circular rearward part,inwardly flaring sides and a flat, forward face, comprising a screwblock the dimension of which, transversely of said device, is less thanthe width of the flat, forward face of said heel,

a screw-threaded hole in said screw block, a trunnion on each side ofsaid screw block, a head on each of said trunnions, a plurality of flat,flexible spring steel bands pivotally mounted, respectively, at theirends on said trunnions, the opposite end portions of said bands beingarcuate in form and adapted to fit, respectively, the rearward portionsof various sizes of heels, a thumb screw having threaded engagement withthe hole in said screw block, a clamp plate loosely but non-detachablymounted on the inner end of said screw and adaptable of engagement withthe flat, forward face of said heel, an upward extension on said clampplate providing a stop for the rubber pad While being nailed on to saidheel, an outward extension on each side of said clamp plate overhangingsaid bands, transversely of said device and providing means to limit thelateral expansive movement of said bands, and prevent rotation of saidclamp plate during the rotation of said screw.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

AMBROSE W. BELLAVANCE. HARRY LEVY.

